Forecast

Cassell Jr. getting ahead with life at UConn

STORRS -- Sam Cassell Jr. finally found a place to call home, and he's wasting no time getting on with his life at UConn.

The 6-foot-2 JUCO transfer arrived on campus over a month ago to start summer school and get acquainted with his new teammates.

"I'm enjoying everything about it," said Cassell, who spent two years -- one as a red-shirt -- at Chipola College in Florida before coming to New England.

"It was good for me to come here early so I could meet some of the guys and (get to know) the coaching staff and the guys. I like it. I enjoy everything about it -- I love UConn."

Cassell already knew one of the coaches, Kevin Ollie, since his famous point guard father, Sam Cassell, played with the UConn head coach in Milwaukee during the 2002-03 NBA season.

"My dad and KO played together ¦ and had a good relationship," said Cassell, who first met Ollie when he was around 10 years old. "I just knew KO, he's a good dude. He's going to take care of me and help me become the best player I can be."

Basketball has taken Cassell all over the East Coast the past few years, with two high school stops (Towson Catholic and St. Frances Academy in Maryland) along with a year at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass.

Traveling that journey with the Cassell name -- Sam played 16 years in the NBA -- isn't something the son has shied away from embracing.

"I'm fine with it," he said. "People say I have to carry something. I want to. I have shoes to fill. I'm happy there's pressure, I want the pressure. That's what makes big-time players. Hopefully, I can be a big-time player."

College life was supposed to begin at Maryland in 2012, but the NCAA declared Cassell ineligible, questioning course work he took at Prep. Instead of joining an ACC school, Cassell went to junior college before finding his way to the Huskies.

Cassell was one of the most sought-after JUCO players and selected UConn over offers from Louisville, Marquette and Missouri, among others.

"I think I bring a lot offensively," said Cassell, who can play both guard spots. "Physically, I'm stronger. I can handle the ball better, shoot the ball better, and I'm playing defense better. My footwork is getting better, so my overall game has gotten way better."

Even though it has only been a short stay at UConn, Cassell has impressed the coaching staff.

"He's doing excellent," Ollie said. "He's a hard worker, very mature. He loves to work, embracing coaching, and from all things I've seen on and off the court, he'll fit right in our program."

Before Cassell arrived for summer school, Ollie's name was tossed around for openings in the NBA, but Cassell said he always believed his head coach would stay at UConn.

"I knew he wasn't going to leave," said Cassell, adding that the players were an equally important factor in his decision to come to UConn along with Ollie being there.